Fabio Salini’s Jewelry Collection Lands at Sotheby’s London for a Good Cause
LONDON — More than 50 pieces of jewelry donated by Italian jeweler Fabio Salini will go on auction Wednesday at Sotheby’s for a good cause.
The sale is part of Sotheby’s Luxury Edit, which runs throughout September, and the jewels, which are on display at Sotheby’s Bond Street, are valued at 2 million pounds.
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All of the proceeds will be donated to the U.K.-based charity The Art of Wishes.
Salini said the pandemic gave him an urgent desire to “use the beauty he had created to also help those in need.”
“I have always wanted to elevate jewelry to a form of fine art, for what is the purpose of art if it cannot change lives? My works are an aesthetic expression of concepts and feelings, and the events of the past three years made me question how I could use these works to help those less fortunate.
“I was searching for a greater purpose for my work, and as such, am delighted to be auctioning this body of work in aid of The Art of Wishes. It is a magnificent charity that seeks to deliver dreams and experiences to children who are going through very difficult times,” Salini said.
The Art of Wishes is a charitable initiative that raises funds among the art community for the charity organization Make-a-Wish UK, which aims to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
The Art of Wishes has raised more than 8.3 million pounds so far, mostly via a gala that is hosted at the start of Frieze Art Fair in London. It has hosted live and silent auctions featuring works donated by established contemporary artists such as Jenny Saville, Kaws, Anish Kapoor, Peter Doig, Julian Opie and Georg Baselitz.
The Israeli-born philanthropist Batia Ofer, founder of the Art of Wishes, said she had always been an admirer of Salini’s “exquisite jewelry, and when he proposed this collaboration I was genuinely overwhelmed by his generosity.”
“We know that when a child sees the seemingly impossible come true it empowers them with hope, so in making this donation, Fabio will not only help make the wishes of thousands of children come true but also make a meaningful impact on their lives,” she added.
Salini, who is based in Rome and has a showroom there, is known for his exploration and use of materials, including rock crystal, straw, leather, shagreen and industrial carbon fiber, and for the precision of his work.
He draws on themes such as Art Deco and ’80s glamour, and embraces contrasts, visually and thematically, linking black carbon fiber with Victorian mourning jewels. He also works with pearls and motifs such as knots, buckles, chain links and horseshoe nails.
The sale has been divided into two parts, with an online auction taking place from through Thursday. A live auction for select items will take place on Wednesday in London.
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